The three Prosorov sisters and their brother grew up in Moscow but settled in a provincial town when their father, the general, who died a year ago, was transferred there. Their longing for the big, wide world of their youth makes it increasingly hard for them to bear the old-fashioned, monotonous life of this remote provincial towm. Iena yearns for some useful task in life. Their hopes that their brother will make a career as a scientist and lead the sisters back to Moscow soon collapse; Andrej is indolent, a gambler by nature, and he falls increasingly under the control of his domineering wife, Natalya, a provincial beauty.
Even after their father's death army officiers are the most frequent guests in the house. Mascha falls in love with lieutenant-colonel Verschinin, who is also unhappily married, while the sophisticated Baron Tusenbach pays court to Irena. Natalya very quickly takes charge of the regular military visitors, and forces the sisters into the background. In the end Tusenbach is shot in a duel a day before he is due to marry Irena. Mascha is forced to give up Verschinin, whose regiment is posted elsewhere. Olga would have liked to marry, but feels she is overtaxed by the headmaster of the school. And Andrej sinks hopelessly into lethargy.
Peter Simonischek, Edith Clever, Jutta lampe, Corinna Kirchhoff, Werner Rehm, Tina Engel, Otto Sander, u.a.
Regie
Peter Stein
Kamera
Kurt-Oskar Herting
Musik
Peter Fischer
ProduzentIn
Regina Ziegler
Sender
ZDF
Genre
TV Play
Länge
Teil 1 - 103'22 min / Teil 2 100'43 min.